Saints and Sinners
by klavscaroline
Summary: Gossip Girl AU - Secrets are uncovered when Caroline finds out her boyfriend, Matt, cheated on her last year. In an effort break free from the restraints of the Upper East Side, she mistakenly sleeps with his best friend and resident bad boy, Klaus, setting off a series of scandals, lies and affairs that will change the lives of Manhattan's Elite. (EDITED)
1. The Bitch Is Back

**(A/N)** I've just binge watched the entire six seasons of Gossip Girl for the second time and felt inspired to write a KC fic based on the lives of the Upper East Siders.

If you've watched Gossip Girl before, you'd know that the characters are incredibly flawed and immature, but there will be character development as the story goes on.

For those who have never seen Gossip Girl, here are some things to note before we start:

\- There are two types of narrations in italics:

1\. Those that end with 'Xoxo, Gossip Girl' - these are texts 'posted' on the Gossip Girl website and there are usually only 2 in each chapter (beginning and end) and the characters in the story are able to read them.

2\. Those that do not end with 'Xoxo, Gossip Girl' - these are purely narrations and are NOT Gossip Girl posts. They only serve to comment on the situation for the readers to understand better, but the characters do not get to read them.

\- In Gossip Girl lingo, (Ni)Klaus is 'N' because Klaus only moved to the New York 5 years ago, and Katherine has been there her whole life so she would've already taken the name 'K'

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own TVD/TO, nor GG

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Bitch is Back**

 _Rise and Shine, Upper East Siders_

 _Guess who was just spotted at Grand Central Station?_

 _It looks like K is back from her trip upstate_

 _And I wonder what Queen C will be packing in her welcoming basket - flowers or insults?_

 _I have a feeling it's going to be a Kat-Fight_

 _You know you love me_

 _Xoxo, Gossip Girl_

"How was your summer, Care?" Bonnie asked from a level below her own on the Met Steps. This staircase represented the most prestigious clique of the Upper East Side and each girl had their own designated seat for lunch over the last two years. Sitting right at the top was Caroline Forbes, Queen of Constance Billard School for Girls, with her friends in descending order of importance.

"I went to see Daddy in Paris and he took me to the new Chateau that he bought. He had a room decorated just for me to visit whenever I want!" She squealed with elation. It was no secret that Bill Forbes liked to splurge on his only daughter and despite moving to France a year ago to live with his partner, Steven, there was no price too hefty when it came to his Caroline.

They were about to echo her excitement when a simultaneous buzz came from all corners of the steps. The girls on the lower levels immediately pulled out their phones, curious to read exactly what juicy scandal was about to be revealed on Gossip Girl.

"Oh, my god!" Elena broke the silence, showing her phone to Bonnie who sat above her. There was a collective gasp from people all around them.

Caroline looked up from her yoghurt, "What?" She asked, looking slightly annoyed, knowing that they had a tendency to overreact. When the girls didn't reply, she rolled her eyes, "Give me that."

Lexi handed over her Samsung Glyde, the same model as all of the other girls in their clique ever since Caroline started the trend a month ago. "It's Gossip Girl," her voice was low, frightened of their leader's reaction.

"Well obviously," Caroline skimmed through the post, unable to hold back a mixture of anger, betrayal and sadness. She took a moment to gather herself, before looking at the other girls, "So, it looks like Katherine is back from the dead. Just in time for Senior year."

"Didn't she tell you?" Elena asked. Whilst the two were cousins, they were never particularly close, unlike Caroline, who had been best friends with Katherine since birth. That was, until her sudden departure.

"Yeah, of course," Caroline replied quickly, gritting her teeth to mask her own surprise, "Of course…"

The day Katherine left without saying goodbye was the last time she had ever seen or heard from her. That was over a year ago, just before the beginning of Junior year.

"I wonder what she's doing coming back to New York. After her drug scandal last year, I'm surprised that any school would take her back in," Vicki wondered out loud, looking to Caroline for answers.

"God knows, but I don't care to find out. Come on girls, we have a party to plan," with that, she stood from her throne with her pack following her lead. Discreetly, she sent a quick text to her boyfriend.

 **[12:56 Caroline to Matt]:** Meet me at the VIP suite tonight, I have a surprise for you - C

Time to play dirty.

* * *

The party was in full swing to celebrate the first day of school, everyone who was anyone was in attendance. A free flow of booze came from the largest centrepiece of the room - the bar.

"So, tonight's the night, then?" Klaus smirked from his place beside his best friend, clapping him on the back, "I can't believe that the two off you have been together since practically kindergarten and you haven't sealed the deal."

Matt turned to his shot glass, "Firstly, no one says 'seal the deal', and secondly, all she said was that she had a surprise for me. It could mean anything."

"Believe me, now that Katherine is back, she's stepping up her game."

He sighed, downing his drink in one go, "It's just…"

"It's just what? You're finally going to have sex with your girlfriend, but here I find you, alone at the bar, looking like you're going in for an execution."

"I'm not," Matt replied hesitantly, "I…. Do you ever get the feeling that our whole lives are planned out for us? That we're destined to become as unhappy as our parents?"

"How philosophical, Matthew," Klaus scoffed, "Whilst I will never be like Mikael, what dear old Daddy gives us are bottomless trust funds, endless parties, booze and prescription drugs. Who said anything about happiness? Now, stop talking. This is a party, not a funeral. And go find your girlfriend before somebody else does," spotting two blonde girls, Klaus took it as his cue to leave.

* * *

Her stilettos were killing her feet, but Katherine Pierce was a woman on a mission, and one simply did not go to war without her armour. She climbed the stairs of the exclusive club, where she caught wind that the beginning-of-the-year party would be held. She hoped to get some time alone with her best friend, who had decided to ignore all of her texts and withheld her invitation.

Once she reached the top, she heard someone call out for her. She turned around to come face-to-face with Matt, "I didn't know you would be here."

"I'm never one to miss a party," she quipped.

The two stood in silence for a few awkward seconds until they were interrupted by a familiar voice, "Matt, here you are," Caroline came up from behind him, her face falling when she spotted her, "Oh, it's you…" she muttered flatly.

"Care, we need to talk," when the brunette saw Caroline's hardened gaze, she added, "Please."

"Not tonight, and if you'll excuse us, we're busy," she began to pull Matt away.

"How about tomorrow then? 9 o'clock? Breakfast at Norma's, the usual?" She called out, a hint of desperation that she couldn't hide in her tone.

"Look, Katherine. What don't you understand? I don't want to speak to you. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. You don't get to come back after you left without a word and expect everything to be the same. You weren't invited for a reason," Caroline lashed out, her gaze cold as she stared down at the brunette in front of her.

Without waiting for a reply, Caroline stormed off.

"I'm so sorry, Kat," Matt said quietly, as he turned to follow.

Katherine grabbed him by the sleeves to stop him from leaving, "Have you told her?"

His silence spoke volumes.

"She deserves to know the truth," she continued, shaking her head in disbelief.

"She doesn't need to know anything," Matt seethed, his demeanour turning defensive.

"If you don't tell her, I will. No matter what she thinks about me, she's still my best friend and I wouldn't underestimate me, Donovan."

 _Careful, M._

 _The bitch is back and she's not here to play._

* * *

Elena fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. She was on high alert since she read the latest Gossip Girl post. Her dear cousin was back, and trouble always seemed to follow.

"I never took you as one to party alone," a male voice broke her from her reverie.

"Leave me alone, Mikaelson," she sighed, "I'm in no mood for games."

"Funnily enough, I'm not looking to play," Klaus approached the railings that she was leaning against, "I just want you to know that I saw what you did last summer," he whispered into her ears.

Her eyes widened in shock as she turned to face him.

"What do you want, Klaus?"

 _Isn't that the million dollar question, E?_

 _You should be careful not to ask questions you don't want the answers to_

* * *

The lights were dimmed by the time he went inside one of the club's VIP rooms. Having frequented it a few times in the past, he was familiar with the environment. In the middle was a king sized bed that would have looked grand until you saw the loose threads on the ends of the sheets.

In fact, everything looked perfect, until you cared enough to pay attention to it.

Caroline stood up as he walked further into the room, clad in her La Perla lace. Her face was partially illuminated by the bedside candles, "I hope it's not too much. I wanted it to be special."

The feeling of dread filled his guts, as his brief conversation with Katherine replayed in his mind. No matter how tempting Caroline looked, he couldn't help but avert his gaze.

He was guilty and he knew it.

He wanted to run and leave this all behind. The hopeful look on Caroline's face was enough to make him want to throw up. But before he could do or say anything, his phone vibrates for the fifth time in his pocket. Desperately wanting to delay this ordeal, he checked his messages.

 **[22:52 Elena to Matt]:** Matt, we need to talk. Klaus knows - E

 **[22:54 Elena to Matt]:** I'm serious

 **[22:55 Elena to Matt]:** Answer me

 **[22:57 Elena to Matt]:** He's going to tell Caroline

 **[23:03 Elena to Matt]:** I'll be waiting on the balcony

Shit. This was the last thing he needed. Klaus may be his best friend, but he knew that he was just as devious as his girlfriend, and there was no telling what he might do with that information.

"What's wrong?" Caroline asked, walking towards him.

"Nothing," he said unsteadily, it felt as though the temperature in the room had gone up several degrees.

She smiled briefly, taking his word for it, and began to lean towards him with her palm on his chest, "I'm glad we waited, Matt, but I'm tired of waiting."

"And this doesn't have anything to do with Katherine coming back to New York City?"

"What? Of course not. Us having sex has nothing to do with her."

Hoping to distract him from further questions, she held his face between her hands and kissed him, like she had a million times before. It almost felt like a ritual to him and it didn't last long, as he pushed her away as quickly as she held onto him.

"I can't do this. I'm sorry, Care. I need to go, I'm so sorry," he staggered away from her, smoothing the creases of his shirt.

"What? Matt, no," she protested as he began to walk out the door, "Matt! What's going on? We've waited so long for this night to come and you're just going to blow me off?"

"As you said, we've waited for so long, we can wait a little longer. I need to go take care of something, I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" His question left no room for answers, as he left Caroline alone in the room, confused and hurt.

* * *

"Where's Matt?" Klaus appeared beside her, with a glass of bourbon in his hand.

"He bailed on me," Caroline sighed dejectedly, not even bothered to hide the truth. She took the drink from him and finished it, "What's wrong with me?"

"You mean aside from your bossy personality, flair for the dramatics and scheming personality?" He teased, gently twisting a strand of her hair around his finger.

"I'm serious, Klaus. I was standing there in my La Perla and he practically ran away!"

Klaus looked at her up and down, as though imagining the scene in his head, "Let's just say, Princess, if I were there in that room with you, nothing would've kept me away," he smirked and walked off.

"It's not Princess, it's Queen!" Caroline shouted after him, smiling for the first time since her failed night with Matt.

 _Queen C spotted leaving the party sans M_

 _Is this the beginning of the end for the Upper East Side's 'It' Couple?_

 _And what does K have to say about all this?_

 _Rumour has it, M and K were getting cosy just before she left town._

 _But now that she's back, it's time to sharpen your claws, girls._

 _Game on._

 _Xoxo, Gossip Girl_

* * *

 **(A/N)** Love it, hate it? Let me know and leave a review!


	2. The Queen's Army

**Chapter 2: The Queen's Army**

 _Time to dig out your Berets because Fall has arrived_

 _If you're looking for some fashion inspo, look no further than our very own Queen C_

 _Spotted outside the Mikaelsons', without her signature headband, it looks like C is up to no good_

 _And if you're wondering which Mikaelson she's there to see,_

 _We're putting our bets on the bad boy himself_

 _Xoxo, Gossip Girl_

"It's been a while since I've seen that beret," Klaus noted as the elevator doors opened to reveal Caroline dressed in tight, black clothing, "Who are we spying on tonight?" He asked, knowingly.

"Good evening to you too, Niklaus," she greeted swiftly, walking in as if she owned the place, "Who said anything about spying? Can't I simply be here to enjoy the company of my boyfriend's best friend?" She asked, feigning innocence.

"You mean the same boyfriend who has been ignoring you like a plague since Kat came back?" Klaus bantered. She could tell by his tone that he did not intend to be unkind, just merely pointing out the obvious, "And besides, we all know I'm your best partner in crime."

"I, too, question my sanity when I involve myself with you," she sighed dramatically, plopping herself on his couch, "Fine. I'm in need of your devious mind and if there's anyone who knows more about where the bodies are buried, metaphorically speaking, it's you."

"Hmmm, Caroline Forbes begging for my help, I can get used to that. What do you want to know?"

"I want to know why she's back," she stated simply.

There was no need to clarify who she was, but he couldn't resist asking just to get a rise from her, "Who? Katherine?"

"No, your sister," she said sarcastically, "Of course, Katherine. After she left, Matt started distancing himself from me and when things are finally starting to become normal again, she comes back and ruins it all."

"What happened to the two of you being best friends? From what I remember, there was no Queen C without her most loyal Katherine by her side"

"That all ended when she got shipped off to rehab without saying goodbye. Look, I'm not even mad at her for having a drug problem, I'm mad because she didn't trust me enough to tell me about it. I could've done something, I could've helped. Not to mention, she didn't reply to a single letter I sent," she ranted, "I need better friends."

"And is that why you're here?"

"Us? Friends?" Caroline scoffed, "We're strictly business partners, Mikaelson. Don't get ahead of yourself."

"And you know how I feel about mixing business...," he drawled, stepping closer towards her, "With pleasure." He reached out to push back a strand of her hair that had escaped her beret, chuckling when he heard her breath hitch. He took pleasure in riling her up.

Her eyes fluttered as she tried to ignore his enticing cologne. "As if," she swatted his hand away.

Deciding that he was sufficiently amused by her reaction, he let it go before they crossed the line. Sure, Caroline was hot and she had a fiery personality that he admired, but the fact remained that she was still Matt's girlfriend, and he wouldn't want to disrespect him like that. Light flirting was their way of communication and it was acceptable, but when they breached the line of physical contact, he knew they had to stop, despite his body protesting otherwise.

"What do you have in mind?" He redirected the conversation.

"Find out what her secret is and use it against her." She said it in a matter-of-fact tone. This was standard protocol for her, and she's used it repeatedly to bring down greater enemies before.

"What if… What if I told you it doesn't matter?" Klaus mentally smacked himself. He shouldn't have said that, but now it was too late to take back.

"Why's that?"

"Because as much as I can't stand Katherine and her antics, she's not the one who you should be after," he said, lacking his usual confidence. He felt torn at where his loyalties lied. On one hand, if he told the truth, he would betray his best friend. On the other hand, Caroline… she deserved to know.

"Tell me," she said with determination, looking him in the eye. He was a sucker for those bright blue orbs that were so full of light. He looked away before his mind had the chance to surrender.

"Caroline…"

"'You always tell me everything, Klaus. In this world of liars and social climbers, I trust you to tell me the truth."

"Ask Matt," he croaked, "That's all I can say, I'm sorry," he said with a kind of sincerity that was rare and unseen in him.

She huffed in disappointment, hoping that he would change his mind. She meant what she said. Klaus might have been cunning and manipulative, but he was always honest, at least when it came to her, and he never turned her down when she needed help. But the way he told her to ask Matt made her stomach churn, as she feared for the worst.

But enough was enough. It was time to face the truth, once and for all.

* * *

 **[09:43 Caroline to Matt]:** We need to talk, find me at the Mikaelson brunch - C

He sighed, slamming his phone on the table. He woke up hungover from his night out at the new club in town, Provocateur, where he attempted to drink his problems away. It was unfortunate that Klaus seemed too busy to answer his calls, but he managed to have some fun with Tyler and Jeremy anyway.

He assumed his best friend was getting ready for the annual Mikaelson brunch, where the family would gather top businessmen, socialites and politicians to celebrate the anniversary of their real estate company. As a Donovan, and a family friend, he was expected to join.

Once again, his phone buzzed as a new message popped in.

 **[09:46 Elena to Matt]:** Are you going to the Mikaelson brunch? - E

He went towards the bathroom to get ready, all the while replying to Elena.

 **[09:47 Matt to Elena]:** Yea, I have to.

 **[09:47 Elena to Matt]:** Good, I'll see you there. And remember what we agreed on, she can never know.

 **[09:48 Matt to Elena]:** Make sure that your cousin's mouth remains shut and we won't have a problem.

He got out his Tom Ford three-piece suit and threw his phone onto the bed, his girlfriend's message left read and forgotten.

* * *

The brunch was held at the ballroom of the prestigious Mikaelson Hotel, the grandest of all its branches. Bouquets of peonies, orchids and roses lined the room, with bronze sculptures in every corner.

The Mikaelson siblings surveyed the venue, looking for anyone their own age. Most of the guests here were stuffy, middle aged men with their trophy wives, not exactly the kind of people you would want to strike a conversation with.

"Finally, look! Caroline's here with Stefan and Damon," Rebekah pointed, "Nik, do you think you could introduce me to her?"

"Why? You know her already, you've spoken to her before."

"Yes, but now that I'm in high school, I want to be in the clique. Please, please, please," Rebekah begged, "Everyone knows she's the ruling monarch of UES, and they get invited to everything - the coolest clubs, fashion shows and not to mention, they're featured on Gossip Girl."

"What's so special about being on Gossip Girl? Trust me, you wouldn't want that," Klaus said, knowing all too well.

"That's easy for you to say, you're on Gossip Girl all the time. Being in the clique and on those Met Steps cements your status in the Upper East Side. And besides, everyone knows that Vicki Donovan only got in because her brother's dating Caroline."

"Well, lucky for you, I'm not dating Caroline," Klaus muttered, his tone sharper than he intended, but not enough for his overly eager sister to notice.

"But you're one of her best friends!"

"I think that's a bit of a stretch," having heard enough from his sister, he began to walk away, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to speak to Caroline… about something else," he added as he saw Rebekah's face turn from hopeful to disappointed.

He sauntered off to greet Caroline, who was looking spectacular in her baby blue dress and peach-coloured pumps. Her hair was tied up in a bun with her signature headband in place. He gulped, catching a glimpse of the nape of her neck, a part of the anatomy he admittedly had a weakness for.

"Salvatores," he nodded at the brothers, before turning towards the girl he came for, "If I may, Caroline," he held out his elbow for her to take, leading them away from the crowd.

"It's bad enough that my mother is marrying Giuseppe Salvatore and I have to endure living with those two dorks until I get to college, but I'm now graced with your presence. What do you want, Mikaelson?"

If it were any other person, he would've been taken aback by her outburst. But judging by the way she was still holding onto him, and the fact that he's known her since his family moved to New York five years ago, he knew her moods were infamous, but harmless… most of the time.

"Something to take your mind off of the drama. My father agreed to let me use a portion of my trust fund to reinvent a new business, a burlesque club I'm calling Victrola. The opening is tonight and if you're free, you could swing by," Klaus propositioned, suddenly feeling a little nervous, "Matt's invited too, of course, if that helps."

She breathed a sigh of relief as she could finally focus on something other than her relationship problems. Instead, she felt an immense pride for her friend, which brightened up her mood, "That's insane, Klaus. I'm so happy for you. I always knew that out of all of your siblings, you would be the first to start your own thing. You've got a good eye for business, but I can't believe you kept this from me for so long!"

"I didn't want to say anything until it was finished and it was something I could be proud of. But it's definitely worth the risk, it's a place where you can escape all your real world problems and let loose in another time period"

"Sounds like something I desperately need," she lamented, "Well, I'm excited to see it. But right now, I better go find Matt, I told him to meet me here."

As she turned to leave, he called out, "Wait, Caroline. About what I said the other night, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make things more complicated than it needs to be."

"Don't be. Admittedly, I was annoyed at first when you wouldn't tell me the whole story but I realised you're the only person who has been remotely honest with me, and everyone else has just been outright lying. Besides, I know you, and I know there must be a reason you held back. But it's okay, I'll get to the bottom of this, I always do."

"Okay, good luck, sweetheart," he left, trying to shake off the impending sense of doom that he had started something that will soon become much bigger than any of them had ever imagined. .

* * *

"Caroline's looking for you," Klaus said, as he spotted Matt loitering by the bar. He had been avoiding his calls since the night before when Caroline came to his home. He felt conflicted between the two and thought it was best to just stay away.

Before he could turn to leave, Matt grabbed onto his shoulder and hissed, "Elena told me that you know what happened last summer… Did you tell Caroline?"

Klaus narrowed his eyes, "I'm not going to break your girlfriend's heart for you. You did this, you deal with the consequences. And do the right thing, she doesn't deserve this." He shook his arm away from his tight grip and went back into the party.

Matt wasn't sure what warranted such a reaction from his best friend. Sure, what he did wasn't right, but Klaus was no saint himself.

"I saw you speak to Klaus," Elena came up beside him, hoping to probe for more information.

"I did and he's not going to tell Caroline, but he thinks that I should"

"Matt, we've been through this. You can't," she said, exasperated.

"It's the right thing to do."

"She will destroy me. This is Caroline Forbes we're talking about, she's capable of anything," Elena started to panic, tears threatening to fall from her eyes, "When she overtook the previous Queen of Constance in her Freshman year, something unheard of at such a young age, she exiled her to Utah to live out the rest of her high school days. I'm not going to Utah!"

"You're her friend, she won't do that to you."

"No, you're her friend, Klaus is her friend, Kat was her friend. We're not her friends, we're replaceable to her and she knows it."

"I know you're scared but I can't keep lying to her. I might not love her anymore but I can't keep fooling her into thinking that this is happily ever after. We fucked up, Elena, and maybe it's time to own up to it," he sighed, "Look, I've got to go, enjoy the brunch," he didn't look back to see the girl whose life was about to crumble to dust.

He made his way to the library where Caroline said she would be. He had successfully avoided her for the majority of the event and it was well into the afternoon.

"I was beginning to think you wouldn't show," she said, placing the book she had taken back onto the shelf, her head still turned away from him.

"I'm sorry, Care. I just had a lot on my mind"

"You mean, like the secret you've been keeping from me since last year?"

"You know about that?" Matt asked, shocked at her revelation. He was sure that neither Klaus nor Katherine had told her… yet.

"I notice things, Matt. I'm not some vapid blonde who has her eyes closed to the world. I notice things that matter to me, and you matter to me. I know things have been different between us since Kat left and I suspected that it has something to do with the Wicked Bitch of the West. But Klaus assured me that my anger was misdirected, so I'm asking you, once and for all, what happened?"

"Klaus doesn't know the whole story, but he's right to say that it wasn't Katherine's fault," Matt took a deep breath, it was time to let the secret out in the open, "I haven't been honest with you but I know I have to"

He moved to sit on the couch, signalling Caroline to do the same.

"Last year, at the Sheppard wedding, I made a huge mistake…"

 **Sheppard Wedding, June 14th 2006**

 _"Kat," Matt called out, stumbling towards her._

 _"How many drinks have you had, mister?" The brunette jokingly reprimanded, as she steadied him with her hands._

 _"Not nearly enough, but that's what this is for," he laughed giddily, holding a bottle of champagne, "And you're going to drink with me," he tapped her on the nose as he swayed on his feet._

 _"Alright, alright. Only because this shitshow is boring as hell, but I'm not responsible for what happens if Caroline sees you like this," Kat teased, leading him into the empty reception area._

 _After half the bottle was gone, the two were light and woozy. He took her hands into his, and confessed, "Katherine Pierce, I love you."_

 _It was as though her entire body was doused with acid, she snapped her head to look at him, "You're drunk, Matt," she tried to laugh it off._

 _His fingers brushed her cheeks, "But I'm being honest. I love you, always have, always will."_

 _"You're with Caroline," she reasoned, this had to be a joke._

 _"What I have with her is like an arranged marriage. I don't love her, we're only together to make our parents happy."_

 _"I don't think she feels that way," she countered, prying his hands away from her. She felt dirty all of the sudden, "She loves you."_

 _"And I know you feel something for me too, Kat."_

 _"Even if I did, I'm not going to betray Caroline like that. Look, I'm going to leave and we're never going to mention this ever again," she said, determined to put a stop to this nonsense._

 _"Katherine," he pleaded, "Please, let me at least explain. I… I'll sober up first. But please, meet me in the wine cellar in half an hour, just to talk, I promise."_

 _Conflicted, Katherine shook her head without saying a word, leaving him in the empty room._

 _He quickly went to the bathroom and washed his face, feeling slightly more alert, before heading towards a waiter for a glass of water. He waited for twenty minutes before heading down to the wine cellar, where he saw the back of her brunette hair at the far end. He was feeling more of himself, but the alcohol was still buzzing in his system, blurring his vision._

 _"Kat," he called out, as she turned around. He froze when he realised that the girl wasn't Katherine, but her cousin._

 _"Elena? What're you doing here?" He asked, confused. He never really noticed her before and the few times he had seen her, she mostly hung quietly behind Caroline._

 _"I heard what you said to Katherine."_

 _"It's not what you think…," Matt stammered in denial._

 _"Matt, I was there the whole time and I heard everything. She's not coming because she doesn't want you, but that's okay because I do. Katherine doesn't know what she's missing, she doesn't appreciate you. And as for Caroline, I know that she acts like the perfect girlfriend, but we all know just how rotten she can be," Elena cooed, pushing him lightly against the wall._

 _"I…"_

 _Elena hushed him with her finger on his lips, "I can give you what Caroline won't, a good time." And with that, the two teenagers met in a drunken haze, unaware of the chaos that they have left in their wake._

 _Meanwhile, in the shadows stood two figures, both unaware of the other's presence, but witnessed enough to know that this was about to change everything._

"So that was it? You guys just kissed?" Caroline asked naively, unwilling to imagine anything else. But Matt's silence confirmed her suspicions, and she felt herself crushed at his betrayal.

"How could you?" She stood up, her hands weaving through her hair, "How could you, Matt? We've been together since we were children, how could you do this to me? Do I mean so little to you?" She cried hysterically, pacing around the room.

He could only look down onto the floor in shame, there were no words to justify his actions or to make this better.

It was then that she realised he had given up. Sure, he made a grave mistake last year, but the fact that he didn't even try to apologise or explain himself hurt even more. Tearfully, she took one last look at his solemn face and slammed the door, leaving Matt alone, once again in an empty room.

But there was one thing that was certain, Elena Gilbert was going to pay.

 _Queen C declaring war on her sworn enemy_

 _I'll be handing in my application to be in her army_

* * *

She looked at her phone for the billionth time since leaving the Mikaelson Hotel, hoping to find an apology from Matt, anything to show that he still cared. But as the hours went by, the chances became slimmer and slimmer.

She looked at the framed photo on her bedside table, one of her and Matt on the first day of their freshman year. That was only three years ago, but they looked so happy, so innocent and unburdened. She took the picture by the corner of the frame and flung it against the wall, the glass shattering as the fantasy of her perfect relationship broke along with it.

Sobbing, she grabbed her phone and pressed '1' on speed dial, knowing that the person to pick up on the other end was exactly who she needed right now.

"Hello, Caroline," the voice greeted.

"K-Klaus…"

 _The place to be tonight is the opening of Victrola_

 _So why is N seen leaving his own party?_

 _It seems like he's heading for Casa di Forbes-Salvatore_

 _And we all know he's not there for the brothers_

 _My, my, my, Klaus and Queen C… Two nights in a row_

 _What would M have to say about this?_

 _Xoxo, Gossip Girl_

* * *

 **(A/N)** That's all for Chapter 2! This is the first proper Klaroline chapter, did you like it? If you did, please leave a review and let me know!

P.S. What did you think of Caroline having Klaus on speed dial


	3. The Devil Named Klaus

**Chapter 3: The Devil Named Klaus**

 _Sometimes you've got to clear your head and remind yourself of who you are and where you want to be_

 _Rumour has it that M and C have called it quits_

 _And according to the Queen herself, the best way to get over a break is at Victrola_

 _Nothing says revenge like having a good time with your ex's best friend_

 _And if the Queen says so, then it must be law_

 _Xoxo, Gossip Girl_

"Caroline?" Klaus called out from the foyer of the Forbes-Salvatore penthouse. He had immediately left his party the moment she called with her voice small and quavering. He knew that Matt must have told her the truth.

It was times like this that he didn't know where the two of them stood. Despite claiming that they purely use one another for nefarious scheming, that began to change when Katherine left. Without a best friend and an attentive boyfriend, Caroline relied on Klaus to be there for her, and over time, he learned that there was much more to her than just the heartless Queen of UES. Though they were wildly different in personalities, with Caroline being a stickler for rules and him bending them on a regular basis, the way that their minds operated seemed to click.

And whilst they might pretend to hate each other, it was all part of their game.

"Caroline?" He called out again, scanning the room.

He was about to walk up the stairs that led to her bedroom when she came into view, her hair wild and uncombed, with mascara streaks running down her face.

"It was supposed to be waterproof," she sniffled, pointing to the stains on her cheeks.

"Glad to know you've still got a sense of humour," he said, meeting her in the middle of the steps. When he reached her, he gave her a look of concern, "Are you okay?"

"As okay as I can be after finding out that my boyfriend of five years was in love with my best friend and then cheated on me with one of my minions… It's like a cliche plot from one of those straight-to-DVD movies"

As someone who was terrible at comforting others and finds himself avoiding these situations however possible, he was unsure of what else to say. He decided that the best route to getting over any breakup was a distraction, "How about I get Dorota to put on a bubble bath and an Audrey Hepburn movie for you in the bathroom telly," he suggested, referring to her maid.

"I already told Dorota to take the rest of the night off, I don't need another witness to my pity party. What I need right now is a place to let loose and forget about everything," then a thought came to her, "Oh my god, Klaus! It's the opening of Victrola tonight, what're you even doing here? You should be hosting the party!"

"It's fine, I can skip out on a bit," he reassured, even though it kind of wasn't. He hadn't planned to stay for more than a few minutes, but seeing Caroline in her unkempt state was enough to tug on his barely existent heartstrings.

"Absolutely not, I won't let you stay here to keep me and my self-pity company when your first club is opening tonight," she shook her head, turning to climb the stairs to her bedroom once more, "We're gonna go, both of us, and we're gonna forget about all the shitty things that are happening in our lives and we're gonna celebrate," she called out with renewed enthusiasm, as she began to pull out clothes from her closet.

Klaus waited for Caroline in the foyer and it didn't take long for her to get ready. She came down wearing a gold dress that matched her hair, along with a brown headband. Her make-up was fixed perfectly, masking any indication that she had been crying just an hour before.

"Are you ready to escape reality?" Her eyes twinkled with excitement.

"After you, Your Majesty," he teased, stepping aside to let her enter the elevator.

* * *

She stretched her legs out onto the sofa, silence filling the spacious living room. The house felt even emptier than usual, with Finn in another state with his wife and kids, Elijah gone for college, Klaus at the opening of Victrola and Kol… well God knows where he was. And of course, her parents were missing too. Mikael and Esther Mikaelson had left straight after the brunch and were probably too busy jet setting around the world, securing more business deals, to notice that their daughter was now in high school.

To top it all off, her Constance plans hadn't quite worked out the way she wanted. It wasn't fair how the Mikaelson name worked wonders for her brothers in St. Jude's School for Boys, but in Constance, the popular crowd wouldn't even give her a second glance. How was she supposed to succeed the throne after Caroline graduates when the girl wouldn't even have a two-sentence conversation with her?

Defeated and tired, she rummaged through Klaus' film collection for anything remotely interesting and released in the last decade when the elevator bell rang.

Matt walked into the room, smiling as he spotted Rebekah on the sofa, "Hey you, is Klaus here?"

"Nope, he's at Victrola," she said, not bothering to elaborate further.

"Oh, that's tonight, isn't it? So, what're you doing here?"

"My brothers don't think I'm old enough to be at a club," she rolled her eyes.

"And what do you think?"

She was taken aback by his question, "Hmmm… I don't know? I guess I never really thought about it. My brothers are like my parental figures, so what they say goes."

Matt chuckled, "I like your brothers, I used to wish they were my family."

"You used to? Not anymore then? Have you finally realised they're all half insane?" She joked, understanding completely why someone would not want an overbearing brother, let alone four.

"Nah," Matt smiled fondly, "Klaus became my brother," he sat next to Rebekah on the sofa. "He's a good guy, even if he doesn't always appear that way. He would do anything for his family and the people he cares about. When my parents got divorced, he was the one who let me crash with you guys for a month. I felt less alone and like I was actually part of a real family."

"Hardly a family when we live without our parents," she said sadly.

"Don't we all? But with Vicki in boarding school at the time, the last thing I wanted to see was my parents fight day and night. Your brother saw that and he immediately took me in. Now that Vicki and I barely speak, Klaus remains the only constant person in my life, and you're lucky to have him in yours by default, Bex," he said, leaning back on the sofa.

Now that he was closer to her, she could smell the alcohol on him. That must have been the reason why he was having a conversation with her. Despite being a regular guest in the Mikaelson residence, Matt always treated her like a child and just like everyone else, preferred talking to her brothers given the choice.

This was by far the longest conversation the two had ever had. And it was… nice.

* * *

Arriving at the club with the host meant that you get to skip all the lines and have the best table reserved for you in front of the massive stage. Steamy, sensual music blared from loudspeakers all around the club and the faces of partygoers were covered in thick cigar smoke. They were well into their fifth drink when the third group of Burlesque performers took the stage.

"How're you feeling, love?" He leaned over so she could hear him over the noise.

"Relieved," she replied instantly, drink in hand, "I feel relieved." The secret was finally out and despite the heartbreak, at least it was over.

She moved closer to the edge of her seat as the dancers began their routine, "You know, I could do that," she nodded her head towards the stage.

"Oh really?" Klaus sat up straighter, interested in where this conversation was heading, "Then why don't you go up there and show them who's Queen."

"No!" Caroline laughed, "I'm just saying, I could if I wanted to."

He edged closer to her until they were shoulder to shoulder and he turned his head ever so slightly to face her, catching a whiff of her signature perfume, "Come on," he baited, bumping her on the shoulder, "You're ten times hotter than any of them."

Sensing the mischievous glint in his eyes, she pointed out, "I know what you're doing, Mikaelson," and he shrugged in response, as though he had expected this outcome from her.

"You really don't think I would do it, do you?" She asked, slightly offended.

"I know you won't," he replied with a little too much arrogance in his voice.

If there was one thing to know about Caroline Forbes, it's that she never backs down from a challenge and she would never admit defeat.

"Guard my drink," she placed her Margarita on the table and strutted onto the stage.

Klaus smirked at his victory as she stood in front of the dancers in her four-inch stilettos. He knew Caroline, and he knew her well. He knew exactly how to play his cards to get her right where he wanted.

 _We all know that prohibition never stood a chance against exhibition_

 _Are we witnessing the beginning of good girl gone bad?_

 _Care C, I heard the Devil now wears Henleys and he calls himself Klaus_

* * *

"Thanks for hearing me out, Bex," Matt said, standing up to leave. The two had talked for hours about his family. Since the divorce, his mother had moved back to her Vanderbilt family mansion, leaving Matt and Vicki in New York to live with their father. With Peter Donovan gone for long periods of time for business trips and his sister's penchant for partying, he had grown to hate staying at the empty house all by himself.

"Yea, of course, it's not a problem," she replied, before adding, "Oh, and say hi to Caroline for me," she smiled.

Matt paused for a moment, "I don't think that's going to happen, we… ummm… we broke up today."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Matt," she felt terrible for bringing this topic up, the two were having a pleasant conversation and she just had to ruin it, "I'm sure the two of you will be back together in no time," she said with a reassuring smile. It was hard to imagine that the golden couple of the Upper East Side had broken up. They had been together since before she came to New York and had always lived in a perfect fairytale fantasy. Everyone was expecting little blond children in the next few years.

"I don't think so," Matt said, looking ashamed, "It's for the best." He turned to get his jacket from the coat stand.

"Hey… maybe… maybe if your dad and Vicki aren't home tonight, you could stay here… if you want to, of course, no pressure or anything," she offered, hoping to compensate for the awkwardness she had caused, "I mean, I'm sure Nik wouldn't mind if you took his bed."

Matt considered it for a moment, thinking of yet again the empty townhouse that he would have to return to.

"That would be really nice, thank you. But I think I'll take the sofa."

Rebekah had a feeling that was all too familiar. There was something hopelessly romantic about fixing a broken boy with a broken family.

Time to cut down on those romance novels.

 _Tsk Tsk, little Bex, haven't you ever heard of girl code?_

 _The last girl who broke it now has her head on a chopping board_

* * *

The music started playing and she assumed her starting position with her back facing the crowd, her golden blonde hair cascading down her body like silk. When she started to sway her hips, the smoke hidden partygoers from every booth couldn't help but turn to watch in awe.

In that moment, she surrendered herself to beat of the music, as the social confinements of the Upper East Side faded away. With a slow and tempting pace, she took her headband off and threw it to the cheering crowd and began to unzip her gold dress from its side before shrugging off its straps, leaving it bundled on the dance floor, as onlookers exploded in excitement.

Clad in her slip, she turned to face them, but all she could focus on was Klaus' unwavering, intense gaze.

She continued her impromptu routine, playing with her hair and pearl necklace, as she moved swiftly and elegantly across the stage, all the while keeping her eyes on him, as though it was his own private show.

Someone in the crowd whistled loudly and it was then that Klaus snapped out of his trance. From the moment she started dancing, he was blown away. Any inhibition that she may have held was thrown out the window. Mesmerised by her alluring movements, he stood up and walked closer for a better view.

"Who's the new girl?" One of the talent managers asked from behind him.

Who was this girl? Because it surely wasn't the Caroline Forbes that he knew, but whoever she was, he wanted to know her better.

"I have no idea," he replied absent-mindedly, downing his champagne, hoping to be left alone so he could concentrate on her.

"You go, baby Vamp," the manager cheered on, walking away from Klaus who neither cared nor realised.

The music ended all too soon and she received a standing ovation from the occupants of the club. The feeling that she got was exhilarating and she had never done something this brave before. She jumped down from the stage and stepped into Klaus' waiting arms as he helped to steady her.

"That was incredible," she declared with a huge smile.

" _You_ were incredible," he corrected, leading her out of the club. One dance was enough for the night, he decided. He needed to go home to take a very cold shower, "Come on, let's get you home." He led her into the backseat of his limo, which had already been waiting outside. He placed a hand over her head to avoid her bumping onto the ceiling.

Ten minutes into the ride, they sat in a comfortable silence, both tired from the night out.

"Thank you," she said, breaking the silence, turning her head to face him as they sat side by side, "For everything."

Throughout the entire ride, he had been resisting the urge to look at her. She was undeniably attractive, as she had always been, but after what happened on stage, he was finding it difficult to remain passive in his admirations.

"Anytime, love." He lifted his gaze to meet hers, finding it impossible to look away.

Perhaps it was the cornucopia of emotions she had gone through over the last twenty-four hours, or maybe it was his bad boy reputation next to her good girl vibe, but in that moment, something changed between them. They were not friends, not quite. But somehow, it didn't quite matter because in this sick, twisted, and fucked up world, he was the one she chose to be with when it mattered the most.

She wanted to forget it all. She was tired of being the girl who waited for her prince charming, the girl who lived to follow traditions through her perfect fantasy because screw it. That all ended when her boyfriend betrayed her and her best friend left without a word.

She reached over and before she lost her courage, drew him in for a kiss. She could sense his hesitation for a second, but eventually he gave into her advances and deepened the inevitable kiss with the same passion.

He wasn't quite sure whether or not he was dreaming when she swung her long legs over his and climbed on top to straddle him, holding his face in her hands to take control of their kiss. Her thighs were clamped tight around his, as he buried one of his hands into her curls, pulling her closer, whilst the other held onto her waist.

Caroline's hands tugged at the hem of his shirt, and it was then that he realised where this was heading. He pulled back and broke the kiss.

"Are you sure?" He whispered against her bright red lips. He held his breath, unsure of whether he wanted to know the answer either way.

In a daze of hunger and desire, she responded by crashing her lips onto his once again, continuing where they left off. Her confirmation had only ignited him further as he responded with a lust-induced fervour.

The slip that she had left on from her performance had proven to be appropriate for the occasion. She easily took off her panties as he unbuckled his belt and pulled his trousers down so that he was exposed.

Although she had been in a relationship for well over five years, she had never gotten this far and the rational side of her was yelling at her to slow down, but the more dominant, reckless side was telling her to fuck it all. She wanted him, and he wanted her. It was as simple as that.

She stroked him from base to tip several times and she smiled triumphantly as she heard him stifle a moan.

"That's it, love," he bit out encouragingly, tugging off the straps of her slip, exposing her black lacy bra, "Fuck, I want you so much."

She was wet and ready, and she aligned herself on top of him before sinking down.

"Oh, my God," her eyes rolled back as she took him in inch by inch, overcome by tempestuous desire, "Yes… fuck"

"That's the idea," he mumbled against her neck, lightly nipping at her delicate skin, just enough to leave faint marks. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined the night turning out in the way that it has. The way her pussy gripped onto him felt amazing and he could feel the unspoken tension and electricity palpate between them. But knowing that this was her first time, he let her take control so she could go at a comfortable pace.

The pain was sharp and sudden at first, but eventually, she felt her body stretch to accommodate him, and she began to move up and down, backwards and forwards until the feeling subsided and it was replaced by something foreign, unexplored and _oh-so-pleasurable._

His hands moved from her waist to cup her breasts as he kissed her, all the while bucking his hips to move in and out of her.

"Klaus," she cried out, feeling her stomach tighten in anticipation. She grasped onto his shoulders tightly as the waves of ecstasy began to spread through her whole body as he continued to fuck her.

Hearing her pleasurable cries, he thrusted his hips to meet hers and felt his own release, muttering a slew of profanities. He rested his forehead against hers as they both recovered from their respective highs, breathing heavily when they felt the limo come to a halt.

When she caught her breath, the reality of it all came crashing down as she climbed off him and began to dress herself. _What had she done?_

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow," she said awkwardly, her body pressed against his as she tried to move towards the door on the passenger side.

She felt him grab her wrist and she turned around to look at him.

"Or maybe…," he said huskily and slightly out of breath from their previous activities, "We could go for round two?" The way he proposed it made it seem more like a statement than a question.

 _Huh, when you put it like that,_ she thought to herself, _we've already done the unspeakable, where's the harm in doing it again?_

"Then I would say in that case…," she leapt out of the limo, walking towards her building but not before shooting Klaus a seductive look, "Welcome to my home."

He quickly rolled down the privacy screen and to speak to his driver, "Arthur, get some rest. I won't be taking the limo home tonight."

This was going to be a long night, in the best way possible.

 _What we've learnt is that what happens in Victrola never stays in Victrola_

 _We hope that none of you did anything naughty tonight_

 _That is, unless your name is Caroline Forbes_

 _We heard that you had more than your fair share of fun_

 _And we can't wait to find out all about it_

 _Xoxo, Gossip Girl_

* * *

 **(A/N)** FINALLY! The infamous Chuck/Blair limo sex scene, I really hope I did it justice.

Of course, don't expect there to be any huge romantic gestures or declaration of love just because they've slept together once. That will all come in due time, but not before more drama!


	4. Confess Your Sins

**Chapter 4: Confess Your Sins**

 _The thing about morning afters is the chaos that it leaves behind_

 _But lucky for us, it means a good dose of early scandal from our beloved Upper East Siders_

 _Spotted outside the Queen's castle, it seems like a shameless Klaus is taking his walk of shame_

 _We hope you've got your hangover cure, C_

 _It's time to confess your sins_

 _Xoxo, Gossip Girl_

"Miss Caroline," she heard Dorota call out from outside her bedroom.

"Nooo, it's way too early," she whined, twisting her body away from the slight gap in the curtains.

"Miss Caroline, your mother is coming home from the airport," the Polish maid called out again, this time gently opening the door to her bedroom.

"Oh my!" She shouted abruptly, slamming the door shut before quickly covering her mouth, "Miss Caroline!"

"What, Dorota? It's not like she's back already," the blonde groaned in frustration.

"There is… there is a boy in your bed," Dorota blurted out through the door, "And he does not look like Mr. Matt."

With that, Caroline's eyes flung open and came face to face with Klaus, who was still asleep despite the commotion.

"Fuck," she swore, looking at his sprawled out form, "Why're you still here? Wake up, you pig!" She shook him by the shoulder, which only caused him to roll over on his stomach, "Leave us Dorota, I'm afraid I'm going to have to resort to violence and it's not going to be pretty."

After she heard Dorota's footsteps retreating away from her door, she took the pillow from underneath her head and smacked it over his, "Wake up, Mikaelson!"

"What?" He mumbled into the mattress, clearly irritated to have been woken up at such an hour on a Sunday.

"Get up, Klaus! What're you still doing here?"

At the sound of her voice, he turned around to face her, still half consumed by slumber.

"What're _you_ doing here?" He asked, rubbing his tired eyes before giving her a once-over, "Oh… now I remember," he said with a wolfish grin on his face.

She was glad that Drunk Caroline had decided to put her underwear back on after their… tryst. She would've died of mortification if he saw her bare in broad daylight, not that she wasn't already contemplating murdering him, then herself, before news could travel out of this room.

"Ugh, as I said, what're you still doing here? I didn't think Klaus Mikaelson would be one to stick around for breakfast and cuddles."

"I don't," he said defensively, "I was tired, that's all"

"Okay, whatever. You need to leave right now."

"Kicking me out already? That's a far cry from last night," he smirked, "If I recall, there was a lot of begging involved."

"Well, you recall wrong," her cheeks flared up at the memory, "Look… It was a mistake, a drunken mistake that we will never speak of again."

"First of all, you weren't even that drunk. If you were, you wouldn't have managed that delectable striptease routine without falling off stage. Which, by the way, I can't seem to get out of my head."

"Once again, you're a pig."

He decided to ignore the comment, "Second of all, perhaps you can blame it on a lapse of judgment the first time around, but the second and third time? No wonder I slept like the dead. You're insatiable, princess," he chuckled, dodging another pillow thrown at him.

"I'm going to kill you," she said, only half-joking at this point, "You have ten seconds to get your ass out of my house."

"And risk running into your soon-to-be step brothers?"

Caroline groaned again, forgetting yet another inconvenience that came with cohabiting with the Salvatores.

"Why is my timing so utterly terrible?" She asked no one in particular, "My mother is coming home from her trip to the airport this morning to pick up Giuseppe so we can all start planning the 'wedding of the decade', meaning that Damon would be back from college and Stefan would return from whichever girl's house he ended up in last night. Okay, change of plans, we're just going to have to sneak you out."

"Excuse me? I'm Klaus Mikaelson, I do not _sneak out."_

"I don't think that even being Klaus Mikaelson would save you if this ever gets out. I doubt that Matt would still want to be associated with you, let alone be your best friend, if he found out you've slept with his ex of five years"

"Before he got the chance to, if I may add."

"You may not," she rolled her eyes and gave him a stern gaze, "I'm going out to distract them if they're not already bundled up in their rooms. I'll text you when it's safe to come out."

"Fine," he relented, knowing better than to argue with Caroline once her mind is set on a plan.

* * *

A few hours had passed since she sent Klaus on his way and she had just about had enough with this wedding planning. She loved her mother dearly, but ever since her divorce from Bill Forbes, she had been obsessed with her work. It just seemed a little too soon that she was suddenly bouncing back to marry Giuseppe Salvatore after merely six months of courtship.

But then and again, who was she to judge? Clearly, the number of years in a relationship does not correlate with the likelihood of being faithful anyway, she thought bitterly to herself.

Shaking those thoughts from her head, she decided it was time to deal with the aftermath of everything that had happened over the last twenty-four hours. Donning her best birdcage headpiece, she set off for her first destination of the evening.

Church.

The confessional to be exact. Whilst she had done a number of questionable things in the past all in the name of scheming and revenge, she had never felt the need to confess her sins. In fact, she wasn't even religious, but in light of recent events, she was willing to reconsider.

"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned," she sat down and stared stoically at the wooden wall in front of her.

"What troubles you, my child?" She heard from across the pane.

She took a deep breath, wondering where to begin, "After I broke up with my boyfriend for approximately twenty minutes, I went to a party, succumbed to intoxication, performed a promiscuous routine on stage and surrendered my virtue to a self-absorbed ass," she listed off, "Pardon my language, Father."

"Well-"

"The only potential silver lining here is that he is a _total_ pig and will pretend like it never happened," she continued, interjecting before the Priest could have his say, "Thank God."

The Priest coughed in disapproval.

"Sorry," she said, "Truthfully, I'm not even Catholic."

"You don't say," he muttered under his breath, almost too low for her to catch.

"But seriously? Losing my virginity to Klaus Mikaelson? What was I thinking? I should just avoid him at all costs. Anyway, thank you, Father. You've been a great help," she stood up with a smile, brushed the specks of dust that had fallen onto her blouse and exited the confessional, already feeling enlightened.

"But I…" the Priest began, shocked at the conversation, or lack thereof that had just transpired. But Caroline was already too far away to hear the rest of his sentence.

* * *

Her second stop was perhaps the hardest one she had to make. It wasn't often that she apologised, and she wasn't planning on making a habit out of it either. After being let through by the doorman, she rode the elevator to the top floor and was greeted by the brunette.

"What're you doing here, Caroline?" Katherine asked in a tired voice, expecting another fight to ensue.

"I wanted to personally come over and… and apologise," she gulped, having difficulties finding the right words, which caught Katherine completely off guard.

"It's fine, Care," she replied, still in disbelief, knowing that Caroline never apologised for anything.

"No, it's not. I should've listened to you."

"I disappeared for a year and you're right, I can't expect everything to be the same after all this time."

"Maybe not, but we're still Katherine and Caroline, best friends since birth and nothing should change that."

Katherine was touched by her words and stepped forward to hug her, "I love you, C. I just want you to be happy, I hope you know that."

"Me too, K," she replied, returning the hug.

 _In the Pierce residence, two white flags waving_

 _C and K reunited to rule the Upper East Side once again_

 _But we all know that one nation can't have two queens_

* * *

"Evening, brother dearest," Klaus heard as he arrived home. He had gone for a few drinks at Victrola after he left Caroline's for a meeting with potential investors. He came home in a foul mood after realising that many of them didn't take him seriously because of his age.

"Kol," he greeted curtly, "I'm surprised you're home given your propensity to avoid family."

"Nonsense, Nik, you know just how much I love to annoy you. You just missed Matt, by the way. Apparently he stayed the night."

"Wait, what? He didn't tell me."

"That's probably because he didn't stay for you," Kol said with an eerie grin, "Ask our little sister... REBEKAH!" He called upstairs.

"What is it, you insufferable arsehole?" Rebekah snapped, annoyed at her brother for disrupting her daily catch-up on Gossip Girl.

"Why was Matt here last night?" Klaus asked, his tone harsher than he intended.

"Well… he came by last night looking for you, but I told him you were down in Victrola. So, we ended up talking for a while about his family drama and his breakup with Caroline, and I felt bad for bringing it up so I asked him if he wanted to stay," she replied nervously.

"Bekah, I know you mean well, but this is not okay. Best friend or not, he's still three years older than you and I don't want to see the two of you staying over alone."

"It's not like we were sleeping together, or even in the same room!" Rebekah huffed, upset at her brother's illogical over-protectiveness, "And you're one to talk. Sneaking out of Caroline's house now, are we?"

Klaus froze, unaware that this was public knowledge.

"Yea, that's right. Everyone knows now. Gossip Girl posted it half an hour ago, and it looks like you weren't so sneaky after all. When Matt saw, he stormed off, so I hope you're happy," Rebekah shouted at him.

"I don't have to explain myself to you, sister," he bit out, "I've got to go."

 _Uh oh, it looks like I've caused another war between best friends_

 _Oops_

* * *

The two spent hours catching up, with Caroline filling her best friend in with the gossip and scandals of the Upper East Side that she had missed in her time away.

"Enough about the others," Katherine laughed, having missed these carefree times with just the two of them, "What about you?"

"Well, as I'm sure you've gathered from me being here and apologising to you, but Matt told me what happened last year, what really happened between you, him and Elena, and we broke up yesterday," Caroline said, feeling a little nostalgic for her five year relationship.

"I'm so sorry, C," Kat consoled.

"Don't be. Unlike Elena, you did right by me. At least I didn't find out when we were married with two kids," Caroline let out a forced laugh, remembering the dreams she used to have of their perfect family, "Besides, Matt and I both have a lot of growing up to do. The way I see it is that he was my childhood and now that I'm practically an adult, it's time to let go of the past."

"I'm so proud of you, C, you deserve someone who would give their whole heart to you…," Kat smiled, "Now, all we have to do is find you a rebound!" She joked.

"Ummm… kind of already… did?" Caroline said in a small voice.

"What? Tell me!" Kat exclaimed.

"I… ummm… kind of, maybe, might have slept with Klaus?"

"Klaus Mikaelson? No way, you're kidding!"

"Do you know any other Klauses? Perhaps I might have mistaken them for him," Caroline rolled her eyes sarcastically.

"But it's K-la-us," Kat said, drawing out each syllable, "Niklaus Mikaelson. Womaniser. Probably slept with half of UES. I thought you hated him!"

"Hey! I thought this was the no judgment club? Hate is a strong word, and maybe I did hate him a little before, but after you were gone, we hung out more often and I'm not saying I condone his antics, but I wouldn't say I hate him either. Although, I should probably go check for any STDs I might have gotten from him. God, what was I thinking, K? I make stupid mistakes when you're not around!"

"I'm here now and I've got your back, no matter what," Kat said reassuringly. After a moment of silence, she added, "Well, was it at least any good?"

Caroline reminisced the night before with a kind of fondness that Kat had to snap her fingers to catch her attention once more, "I take that as a yes?"

"A lady never kisses and tells," she responded coyly.

"Right…," and the two laughed at the utter insanity of it all. If someone told her that she would be here talking to Katherine about her night with Klaus two days ago, she would've never believed it.

"I'm glad we're friends again, C," Kat admitted.

"I know, I just wish you told me the truth sooner."

"I couldn't. After I was taken away to rehab, I was cut off from all communications with the outside world. And nothing about the timing was a coincidence. I wanted to talk to you right after the Sheppard Wedding, but before I could think of what to say, I was shipped off the next day. She might not have known that I'd seen them, but she definitely heard what he said to me and must have seen me as a threat. I bet she was the one who planted drugs in my purse and ratted me out to my parents. They've always thought that I was the bad seed of the family, so of course they would believe Saint Elena over me."

"How could she? I always knew she was a shady bitch, but she's your family! Now that I think about it, I'm sure she was the one who told Gossip Girl to run the story too."

"I wouldn't be surprised if she did."

"You know what, K. I think you should come with me to my last stop of the night," leaping off the chaise, Caroline grabbed her best friend's hand and led her out of the house.

 _You know what they say_

 _Hell hath no fury like two women scorned_

* * *

Her last stop was one that was long overdue. No one messed with Caroline Forbes _and_ Katherine Pierce without facing consequences, and it was time for one Elena Gilbert to learn her place.

"Oh, Caroline! Katherine!" Elena squeaked when she opened the door, "I didn't know you were coming. Come on in!"

"That won't be necessary. You know what we're here for, so let's make this quick. We're on a tight schedule and we're not going to waste any more of our time on you," Caroline began, exerting authority like the Queen she is.

"Care, I'm so, _so_ sorry. Please let me explain!"

"I'm not here for apologies or excuses, Gilbert. You've not only made an enemy out of me, but you tried to turn Kat and I against each other."

"I know what you did to me," Kat said, stepping forward to face her cousin, "You took a year of my life because of your pettiness, and I will never forgive you. Family, or not."

"Kat… please. I was young and stupid and the truth is, I've liked Matt for a long time and I just thought that you were a threat to my plans. It was wrong and I know that now, I'm so sor-"

Caroline rolled her eyes at her pretentiousness, "Again, we didn't come for your empty apologies. We're merely here to declare you exiled from not only Manhattan, but all of New York. Arrange your first possible flight out of state and never come back. I suggest California, although three-thousand miles in between us is not enough, it's certainly a start."

"Please, Caroline…," Elena begged, beginning to cry, feeling as though her world had been ripped apart into pieces. She thought of everything she would have to leave behind, Jeremy, her parents, Matt...

"As I said, I'm not wasting another moment of my life on trash like you. You better be out of Manhattan by tomorrow, or I will destroy you. And trust me, I'm capable of anything and you've just become my worst enemy," Caroline said calmly, "I've got an APB out on you on Gossip Girl, so don't even _try_ to hide from us," and with that, the two girls strutted away feeling like everything was finally getting back to normal.

 _We've just received direct orders from C herself to put out an APB on E_

 _It looks like the Queen has exiled another one of her subjects_

 _Whilst you're probably wondering why, the question on my mind is_

 _Who's next?_

* * *

Klaus arrived at the Empire Bar as quickly as he could, knowing that it was the place Matt went to when he was upset. True to his instincts, he found his best friend sitting alone on the barstool, nursing what appeared to be a glass of gin and tonic.

"Hey," he patted Matt on his back, "May I?" He gestured to the seat beside him.

"You can do whatever pleases you," Matt said, recognising Klaus' voice immediately. "It's never stopped you before. You take what you want."

"I don't know what you think happened, but whatever you've read on Gossip Girl, it's not true," Klaus lied, maintaining his best poker face. Whatever he felt for Caroline, he was going to have to squash it because his friendship with Matt meant more than anything.

"So, you mean you didn't sleep with my girlfriend?" Matt snorted, momentarily forgetting the fact that they had already broken up, "You're Klaus Mikaelson, I find it hard to believe that you left her house early in the morning for just a chat."

"I know you're upset so I'm going to let that comment go. But Caroline and I are friends and she got upset and drunk because the two of you broke up, so I took her home. That's it," he grimaced, hoping his best friend wouldn't catch him out on what was going to become the messiest web of lies he was currently spinning.

Matt looked him in the eye, "So, you really didn't sleep with her?"

"I didn't," and if there was anything he learnt from years of manipulation, it was the mastery of lying.

Matt smiled, "Good, that would've been ridiculous anyway. Caroline would never go for you, no offence."

"None taken," Klaus said, keeping his tone steady, relieved that he had gotten himself out of a potentially explosive situation. Noticing Matt's empty drink, he said, "Next one's on me, Donovan."

 _Spotted side by side at the Empire Bar, N and M sipping on gin and tonics_

 _Looks like it takes more than Queen C to break them apart_

 _But why do I get a feeling that nothing lasts forever?_

* * *

After the whole ordeal with Elena, the two girls exchanged goodbyes and promised to find each other for lunch on the Met steps the next day. Caroline decided it was best to shake off her thoughts by walking home when a black limo slowed to her pace.

She began to walk faster, recognising exactly _which_ black limo it was, or more importantly, who it belonged to. You tend not to forget the place you lost your virginity in after all.

"Are you stalking me?" Caroline chided, as the tinted windows rolled down to reveal a very amused Klaus.

"If you must know, I was on my way home when I saw you walking all by your lonesome," he explained, "And it appears we weren't as sneaky as we thought we were this morning. Gossip Girl sent out a blast a couple of hours after I left."

"You can't be serious!" Caroline screeched, her eyes widening in horror. She hadn't checked her phone all day as she had been extremely busy the entire day, "Shit, Matt! He's going to kill us! Although, I'm sure he'll kill you first so at least I'll have the joy of watching."

"Luckily for _us,_ I dealt with it. I simply told him that I was bringing you home after you got drunk off your arse in Victrola. So please, be a dear and stick to the story."

"As if I would openly admit to sleeping with you," she scoffed, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've been given orders by practically God himself to avoid you."

"Ah yes, I heard from one of your minions that you were at church this morning. Rest assured, I told them you simply became religious after a meltdown from your breakup," Klaus mused.

"You did not," Caroline's eyes narrowed.

"Sure did, and you're welcome for helping you avoid unnecessary drama," all this bantering and unresolved tension was enough to make him question his previous adamancy in avoiding her. Matt and Caroline were broken up and by the looks of it, wouldn't be getting back together ever again.

"Now, how about you continue to avoid me inside my limo," he said suggestively, deciding that he wouldn't be true to his nature if he didn't do whatever the hell pleased him.

"I'm not getting into that _thing_ with you," she replied, shocked at his audacity, "And I thought we've made it clear that Matt, and the rest of New York, can't know what happened last night."

"There's a difference between not knowing and not doing something, love," Klaus countered, "All I'm saying is we had fun and no one has to know if we're more careful next time."

"You're a pig," she repeated her insult from their conversation this morning.

"So you've mentioned, but that's not a no."

Caroline took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down and remember what she had promised herself in church that very morning. But at the same time...

She let out a sigh and stopped walking altogether, and the limo, too, came to a halt.

"Damn you, Klaus Mikaelson," she growled, opening the door to the limo.

Damn, indeed.

 _T'is the season for renewed friendships. First we had C and K, and now N and M_

 _It almost feels like one big, happy family_

 _But we all know from reality TV, every family has their secrets_

 _With E exiled, and C and M broken up_

 _We're dying for some behind the scenes from this cast and crew_

 _Xoxo, Gossip Girl_

* * *

 **(A/N)** That's a wrap for Chapter 4! It's my longest chapter yet, and a lot went down but I hope it was entertaining to read. Klaus and Caroline really can't stay away from each other, can they? ;)

Please leave a review!


	5. Naughty Or Nice

**(A/N)** Yes, I'm back and I know it's been a really long time and I apologise to everyone who has been so supportive of this story and has been encouraging me to update. I wasn't happy with the way the story was going and it made me lose motivation. But over the last week or so, I've been editing each and every chapter and I'm feeling a lot better about them. Therefore, even if you've read the previous chapters, I would suggest you read them again because there have been quite a few changes.

Also, I edited the crap out of this chapter. so i've decided to get rid of the current chapter 6 because now it'll make no sense and i'll have to rewrite the whole thing

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Naughty or Nice**

 _Hang up your stockings, Upper East Siders, Christmas is just around the corner_

 _And as we celebrate the birth of Christ, we too, celebrate the birth of a lady_

 _The Debutante is the most important event of the year and my question is_

 _Now that C and M are no longer, who will escort our Queen to the ball?_

 _Get in line, boys, it looks like C is looking for her new King_

 _Xoxo, Gossip Girl_

It was a rare occasion for his dad to be around during holiday season, and they took the opportunity to go for a run at Central Park to enjoy the crisp, fresh air of Manhattan, and away from the bustling city centre. After an hour of jogging, the two stopped by a hot dog stand to catch their breath.

"Good run," his dad commented, panting with his hands on his knees from trying to keep up with his son, "So, how's the lovely Caroline?" Peter Donovan had been away on a business trip around Europe for the past three months. Normally he was gone for weeks at a time, so this particular excursion was lengthy even for his standards.

"We broke up, actually," Matt replied, taking a bite out of his hot dog.

"What do you mean?" Peter asked, grabbing Matt lightly by the shoulder to pull him to the side.

"We got into a big fight over the summer," Matt explained, long past his breakup with Caroline. The two of them hadn't been a real couple for months before the split, and it felt as though they were only together out of habit.

"Couples fight all the time, it's no big deal," his dad laughed, taking the situation lightly, "You want my advice? Apologise, even if it's her fault, then go buy some flowers, some jewellery and what not. Women love that."

"Honestly, I think it's for the best that we stay apart."

His dad looked momentarily apprehensive and his eyebrows furrowed in concern, "Caroline is a great girl…"

"I know she is, but I just don't think she's the right girl for me."

"You've been together for five years, son. I know that you're young and you want to explore other options but this is Caroline that we're talking about. There's no better girl in the Upper East Side than her. If you let her go, she'll be swept away by another guy."

"Then I wish her all the best," Matt said simply, "It's just… I did something bad and I don't expect her to forgive me, at least not right now. We need some time away from each other," he avoided eye contact as he recalled his infidelity.

"I think you're making a huge mistake by letting her go without a fight, Matthew," Peter reprimanded tersely, his jaw clenched.

Taken aback by his dad's change in attitude, he realised that the older man was taking his breakup with Caroline a lot more personally than he would've expected, "Dad, is something going on?"

"Now is really not a good time to break up with Caroline Forbes. You see, her mother's clothing company is reaching unprecedented levels and she is ready to take it public. I've been courting her for months to let me take the deal but nothing has been set in stone. I need you to help me out, son, give her a little push by making her only daughter happy… just until I can cement this alliance, okay? Our family depends on this deal and it's the big break I need for that promotion I've been eyeing for."

"I don't feel comfortable using Caroline like this."

"Nobody is _using_ Caroline. You love her and she loves you, you're just going through a rough patch. Which couple hasn't, right? And besides, the two of you will get married undoubtedly, and I'm sure Caroline would do anything to help her future family."

"Dad…"

Peter held up a hand to stop him, "Do you know how expensive it is to put you and your sister through school in New York? With your mother gone, she's cut off all of her funds from her Vanderbilt side and we're left on our own. I _need_ this deal to happen, you understand that, don't you?"

"I do, but…," he said hesitantly.

"Good, I knew I could count on you. Now, go buy the girl some flowers and ask her to the ball."

* * *

"Fuck, yes," she moaned as he pounded into her faster and harder. His right hand wandered up her thigh and his left kneaded her soft breast, in which she responded enthusiastically by running her nails down his back. This thing between her and Klaus had been going on since that night at Victrola three months ago. And it was the perfect arrangement, no strings attached sex based purely on animalistic attraction. It was exactly what she needed after a five year long relationship.

The last thing she wanted was to jump into a new one, not that she would ever consider actually _dating_ Klaus. The man probably never kept a girlfriend for longer than a week in his life.

"Caroline," he drawled, "You feel so fucking good." He held her tightly so that his chest was touching hers and with a few powerful thrusts, he felt himself spill inside her. He rested his forehead against hers and took a minute to catch his breath before rolling off her.

She turned to her side to face him and began drawing lazy circles on his chest.

"As fun as that was, I need to be at a dress fitting for the Debs," she said with a satisfied grin on her face. She was due to meet Katherine and their stylist at Marchesa in about fifteen minutes, even though right now, the only place she wanted to be was this very bed.

She began to get up, when Klaus wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. "They can wait," he mumbled against her neck before placing open mouthed kisses to entice her to stay.

"But I need to look my best for the Debs, it's the most important event of the year," she was completely distracted by his bedroom skills, her voice lacking in its usual conviction.

"Ah yes, for your date," he scoffed, as he pulled away from her neck. It was no secret that he was less than impressed by her choice of escort.

"Well, it's not like I can go with you, can I? No one can know about us, remember? I don't think that Matt would appreciate it if he found out what we've been doing for the past three months, and thanks to Gossip Girl, he's already suspicious," she retorted.

"And so you've mentioned, but it doesn't make your choice any less of a bad one."

"Tyler is perfectly respectable," she argued. Sure, he wasn't the most mature person in the world, nor did he make her feel any sort of way, but at least he was a pretty face and his father was the Mayor of New York, so that must count for something in society's standards.

"Your definition of respectable is clearly skewed," he spat.

"You're just jealous."

"As if I would be jealous of that little mutt," he denied, rolling his eyes, "You can go with whoever you want, I couldn't care less. Just don't come crying to me about how your night was ruined by that low-life."

"You are despicable," she said angrily, pushing him away and sliding off her bed to get dressed, "If you're going to insult me and my choice of escort, I have better things to do with my time."

"So do I. In fact, I have better _people_ to do with my time," there he goes again, reminding her of what she hated most about him. He looked so smug sitting on her bed, all the while on his phone, probably texting the myriad of girls he had in his contacts, "And for future reference, find someone less despicable to satisfy your needs."

Furious, she grabbed her purse and left without sparing him another glance. If she looked back, she might as well admit defeat because she was sure she wouldn't be able to contain her tears.

* * *

"This looks gorgeous," the store assistant complimented.

"Really?" Katherine challenged, side-eyeing her before returning her attention to Caroline, "You look like you're trying to hide a pregnancy under all those layers of cloth."

Caroline sighed, this was about the fifteenth dress she tried on and she was sure that by this point, the store assistant was just going to say nice things about every dress in hopes that she wouldn't have to spend another three hours catering to them.

She wasn't in the mood to make her usual snarky remarks, as she was still upset from her argument with Klaus to get into the spirit of dress shopping. She normally had a great eye for fashion, but she was more than distracted by her own personal problems.

"How about this one?" The stylist suggested, holding up a forest green number.

"How about you leave?" Katherine demanded, glaring at the ill-fitting dress, "If we wanted to dress poorly, we would've asked Vicki Donovan to be our stylist."

Glancing at each other, the stylist and store assistant scrambled out of the room, knowing better than to start a fight with one of their most influential clients.

"You seem distracted," Katherine pointed out as soon as they were alone. Caroline barely uttered a single word since she arrived at the store, let alone reprimand the women who had no business in fashion like she normally would.

"I'm okay," she said evasively, trying to downplay how hurt she was feeling.

"That's code for something's wrong in Caroline lingo."

"It's nothing. I had a fight with Klaus this morning," she said dejectedly.

"Ah, your illicit affair. Doesn't sound like nothing, you seem upset," Katherine probed, "What did the asshole do this time?" She jumped to her best friend's defence immediately.

"I don't even know how it escalated to this point but one minute we were getting it on and the next, he was insulting me and my choice in escort for the Debs."

"I think you might find it hard to believe, but I actually agree with Klaus on this one. Tyler Lockwood is a douchebag to say the least. But anyway, I bet Klaus was just jealous."

"That's what I stupidly thought until he reminded me of the catalogue of girls he has at his beck and call," she scowled, recalling the memory that left her with a bitter aftertaste.

"Wait a minute, are _you_ jealous?"

"What? No, of course not!" She denied vehemently, shaking her head, "I would never! We're just… it's just sex, nothing more!"

"For someone who lies on the daily, you sure are having problems convincing me on this one."

"Don't believe me then," Caroline huffed, turning back to her dresses, "Anyway, who're you taking to the Debs?"

"Deflection…," Katherine noted, "But I'll allow it for now. And to be honest, I haven't decided yet."

"Seriously? There's barely a week left, all the good ones will be taken by now!" Caroline panicked, concerned for her best friend.

"I have half a mind not to go," Katherine confessed, "Life in New York is complicated enough on its own, I don't need to hear people whispering about me all night long. If it weren't for my grandmother being the chairlady of the Debs, I would've skipped town for the holidays."

Caroline could empathise with her to a certain extent. After her year long absence, it was near impossible for the Pierce heiress to escape the persistent gossip from the ever-judgmental Upper East Side socialites. You could always count on them to engage in frivolous conversations.

"Maybe I'll just go with Jeremy," she referenced her cousin, who despite the animosity between her and Elena, decided to remain Switzerland between the two.

Caroline looked visibly offended, "That is socially unacceptable! You're Katherine Pierce, you can get any man you want, you don't have to resort to going with your cousin!" She flung her arms hysterically at the preposterous notion.

Katherine shrugged, turning her attention back to the rack of dresses before deeming them hopeless, "Come on, we're not going to find anything Debs-worthy here. Let's go to McQueen."

As they left Marchesa, the store assistant sighed after having realised that she wasted three hours without scoring a single purchase, not that either of the girls noticed as they strode off onto the streets of Manhattan.

Trailing a step behind Katherine, Caroline pulled out her cell phone and clicked onto a group chat.

 **[14:56 Caroline]:** find me a date for Katherine by tonight, and he better be perfect

 **[14:57 Lexi]:** that's impossible, C! All the good ones are gone by now!

 **[14:57 April]:** I can't even find my own date!

 **[14:58 Caroline]:** I don't care how you do it, but Katherine needs the perfect date. If he has a girlfriend, he'll dump her. If he's all the way in another country, he'll fly over in his private jet. I. Don't. Care. Get it done, ladies!

 **[15:00 Bonnie]:** we'll get you a list of candidates by tonight

 **[15:00 Caroline]** : I like your attitude, B.

 _When it comes to scoring the perfect date_

 _We all know you have to play naughty, not nice_

* * *

After being sufficiently satisfied with their purchase, the two girls headed their separate ways. Dropping off her bags at the Pierce penthouse, Katherine decided there was one person she had yet to properly visit since her return to New York.

"Katherine," Klaus greeted, eyeing her suspiciously as she knocked and opened the door to his room. It was no secret that the two of them did not like each, but merely interacted as they were thrusted in the same social circle, "To what do I owe the pleasure?" His patience was already wearing thin at the sight of her.

"Cut the crap, Klaus," she slammed his bedroom door behind her, "You know why I'm here."

"I hope you're not here to get laid," he said sarcastically, "Unfortunately for you, you're not my type."

"I have no idea what Caroline sees in you,' she said, deadpanned.

Hearing her name certainly piqued his interest, "What? Did she…," he coughed, "Did she say something?"

"Nothing that I didn't already know," she replied with a bite in her tone, "Hence my presence," she took a seat on his armchair.

"I don't remember asking you to make yourself at home," he glowered, "So? Get on with it."

"She, for some inexplicable reason, is attracted to you enough to sleep with you for the past three months. And despite how I feel about you, she's her own person and I don't want to interfere with whatever it is the two of you call this. But as her best friend, I have to step in when I find out that you're sleeping with other girls behind her back. Whatever your messed up relationship is, Caroline deserves better," she fumed, glaring daggers at Klaus.

It took him a few seconds for Katherine's words to sink into him. He wasn't exactly surprised that Caroline told her about them, the two were practically sisters, but her accusations confused him.

"Why, thank you for your blessing, Mother Katherine, but I have no idea what you're talking about," he quipped.

"Don't even try to play dumb, Mikaelson, it's not a good look on you. Wasn't it just this morning that you basically told her that you were seeing other girls? And knowing how Matt and Caroline ended their relationship, that's a dick move. Way to hit her where it hurts the most."

He recalled their argument this morning, the memory playing through his mind again and again. He had already berated himself multiple time for that stupid comment he made, "Not that it's any of your business, but I haven't slept with anyone else since I've been with Caroline. I only said that to rile her up."

She looked at him skeptically, trying to search for telltale signs of deceit, "I don't believe that. You, the serial manwhore of the Upper East Side, is a sudden believer in monogamy?"

"What can I say? She satisfies my needs," he drawled, trying to keep it cool in Katherine's presence. He would rather have her think that he was in this purely for physical reasons than to risk having her go back to Caroline and spewing words about how he was possibly even more upset over their argument than she was, "Now, if you're done with the interrogation, you know the way out."

Katherine pondered for a moment, he had no reason to lie. The Klaus she knew was just as shameless about his conquests as one could get. In fact, admitting to monogamy might just as well be him admitting to his new-found weakness. Whilst she doesn't trust him completely, she had no reason to keep questioning him on this.

"I'm warning you, Klaus. You might think you're crafty, but nothing happens in the Upper East Side without me knowing, and if I find out that you're lying…"

"Duly noted, Pierce," he dismissed her with a wave of a hand, putting his earphones back on.

She turned to leave and had barely closed the door to his bedroom when she heard another voice down the corridor calling her name.

"Elijah?" Katherine squinted in the dimly lit hallway.

"Hey, what're you doing here?" Then he noticed the door she just came out of, "Oh! Are you and Niklaus...?" He drifted off, but it was clear what he was implying.

"Oh, what? No, definitely, no. I just came to talk to him about something."

"Anything I should be aware of? Is my little brother causing you trouble again?"

"No, not to me, but I've made sure that he knows what would happen if he steps out of line."

"That's the Katherine I know and love," he slipped out before he could catch his tongue.

To say that there was an awkward silence was an understatement. The two former lovers stood three feet apart, as they were alone for the first time in two years.

"Elijah…," she started, unsure of what exactly she wanted to say. There had been so much history and pain between them that it was difficult to formulate her thoughts into words.

"I'm sorry, Katerina, for… you know," he was perhaps the only person, aside from her parents, who called her by her birth name.

"There's no need to apologise anymore, it was a long time ago," she really didn't feel like rehashing the past, and she could feel the hurt coming through to her in waves as she remembered the last time they saw each other.

"I wish I could have done it differently, I wish I didn't have to hurt you like that," he clearly wasn't letting it go.

There was something about what he said that made her snap, "Then why did you? You made it very clear that you didn't want to be associated with me. I'm sorry that I made your life so complicated by wanting to be with you. And to think that I thought you were different from all the other guys, but no, you proved me wrong. I... ," she fought to hold back her tears, "You said you loved me and after we slept together, you decided you didn't want to be with me anymore. Saying sorry doesn't make any of this okay."

"You know it wasn't like that, Katerina. What we had wasn't just physical, I cared about you… I still care about you."

"Funny way of showing it after you ran off to college without an explanation."

"After my father found out, there was no way he would have let us stay in a relationship. I was going off to college, and you were just starting your sophomore year. It would've been too much of a scandal and it would have cost us everything."

"And I would've risked it. Do you know how my life had gone to shit after you left? Did you even care to find out at all?"

"I…," after he left New York, all he wanted was to erase any trace he had of her because it would've only made his decision to leave her behind so much harder to bear.

"I loved you, Elijah," she whispered tearfully, careful not to alert the other Mikaelson siblings.

His heart thumped at her confession, "And I loved you, too."

No matter how strong Katherine Pierce appeared to the outside world, in front of one Elijah Mikaelson, she broke down in tears reminiscing the good times they once shared.

"Katerina," he wrapped his arms around her like he once did before, "I think… no, I know that I love you, still. And I'm not afraid anymore, I'll prove it to you."

And as much as she wanted to relax into his embrace and just say yes, she couldn't.

"No," she pushed herself away from him, "I'm not that girl anymore, Elijah. These two years have changed me, and I'm not the girl you think I am. I'm not going to fall for your words, I can't. I refuse to be that naive again."

"Kat-," he was beginning to understand how she felt when he broke her heart.

"Friends. That's all I can offer right now," she gave him one last glance and left before he could respond.

He remained still in that exact spot as he thought to himself, would he truly be able to remain just friends with Katherine, or would it hurt less to just stay away. He sighed, knowing that sleep wasn't going to come easy tonight.

* * *

 **[21:43 Bonnie]:** Care, we've found a list of suitable candidates for K. Admittedly, there aren't many eligible bachelors left, and some of these guys already have dates but I'm sure that with a little incentive, we can get them to ditch their partners.

 **[21:43 Caroline]:** perfect, let's hear them.

She received a photo of a guy with shoulder length black hair and blue eyes. Not too bad to look at, but nothing special either.

 **[21:44 Vicki]:** I found this one. His name is Trevor McCoy, senior at Browning, student council president and captain of the debate team.

 **[21:44 Caroline]:** sounds boring, Kat would chew him up for fun. Next.

She received another photo, one she immediately recognised.

 **[21:45 Lexi]:** So, Kai Parker, senior at Dwight, captain of the lacrosse team, I would score him a 9 out of 10.

 **[21:45 Caroline]:** isn't he like... crazy or something?

 **[21:46 Lexi]:** Well, he's apparently got some beef with his family, but...

 **[21:46 Caroline]:** I'm not sure that setting Kat up with a psychopath is the best idea. Anyone else?

 **[21:47 April]:** Well, this one needs no introduction but how about Klaus?

Caroline felt like she couldn't breathe for a moment, as her anger began to flare up. How dare they even entertain the notion of Klaus going with Katherine? It's obvious that they hated each other, and not to mention, the thought of Klaus taking someone to the Debs was… wait.

Nope, she didn't care. Not one bit.

 **[21:47 April]:** I mean, I know that Klaus isn't exactly a gentleman but he's a Mikaelson and he's hot, so that makes up for his personality. I would say he's our best candidate.

 _Deep breaths, Caroline,_ she thought to herself.

 **[21:50 Bonnie]:** C? You there?

 **[21:51 April]:** And yes, apparently he's already going with this Camille girl, but I've already got a plan to take her out.

 _HE WAS WHAT?_ Caroline was livid, as if this situation couldn't get any worse, Klaus had already found a date? But to be fair, what did she expect? That one of the most sought after guys in the UES wouldn't escort anyone to the Debs?

But still, she made a mental note to dig up dirt on this Camille girl when she was done with this fiasco.

 **[21:55 Caroline]:** No, absolutely not.

If he found out that she sabotaged his date (which of course he would because who else would have the ability and motive to do such a thing?), he would accuse her of being jealous and that was definitely _not_ what she was.

 **[21:56 Bonnie]:** Okay, this is our last candidate. Since Klaus didn't work out, how about Kol? I know he's a year younger but the advantages still stand, and even better, he's not taking anyone as of right now.

Caroline considered her options. It was either setting Katherine up with a loser, a psychopath, her current fuck-buddy or Kol. The answer was pretty clear.

 **[21:57 Caroline]:** I knew I could trust you, B. Call Kol and let him know he's taking Katherine to the Debs. TTYL girls.

She collapsed onto her bed, exhausted from everything that was going on. But she barely had five minutes of peace before Dorota came knocking on her door.

"Ms. Caroline, Mr. Matt is here to see you," her maid informed her.

She hadn't spoken to Matt since their break up and she had to admit that initially it did hurt her ego when he didn't care enough to see her either. And so it was all the more surprising that he decided to show up three months after their split.

Caroline put on a fluffy robe and went to the living room, because there was no way she was inviting her ex into her bedroom. She found Matt on the edge of her chaise, looking at his phone.

"Matt?" She called for his attention.

"Care," he greeted, using the nickname he once gave her, which pretty much caught on with all of her other friends. And whilst her feelings for Matt had dwindled into nothingness, she did feel nostalgic over their once seemingly perfect relationship.

Or perhaps the rose coloured glasses that she had worn over the entirety of their time together were too tinted for her to admit the truth.

"What're you doing here?" She enquired, keeping her tone light and welcoming. There was no need to turn this into an ugly situation.

"I just came to see how you were doing. The Debs is only a few days away and I know how much it means to you," he stood up to face her.

She tried to hide her surprise at Matt's sudden attentiveness. Even when they were dating, he was rarely concerned about her feelings in what he considered trivial and pretentious events.

"I'm prepared," she said confidently, "I have my dress fitted, my limo booked and my date ready."

"Right… that's actually what I wanted to speak to you about," Matt shuffled on his feet, "I was hoping you would reconsider your choice. Tyler is great, he's a good friend of mine, but you and I have talked about going to the Debs together for years and I would hate for all of it to go to waste."

"Matt...," she furrowed her eyebrows, uncertain of where she wanted this conversation to go.

"I hope you would consider going with me instead. You know, for old time's sake," he looked at her with his hopeful boyish grin.

She once again considered her options. On one hand, she could go with Tyler and it would be the easiest and most drama-free choice.

On the other hand, Matt was right. They had talked about going to the Debs together for years and she even had a scrapbook laying out every single detail with cut-outs of their faces. Up until three months ago, she had thought that her plans would come to fruition.

And besides, the cherry on top was that Klaus would be furious. The one person that he would hate for her to go with more than Tyler was his very own best friend. And well, revenge was sweet.

"As friends," she said definitively.

"Of course, as friends," Matt smiled.

What neither of them knew was that the other had an ulterior motive, but it didn't quite matter as this was a mutually beneficial plan.

She smirked. Suddenly, she was looking forward to the Debs a little more.

 _What's this? My sources are telling me that C and M will be attending the Debs together_

 _It looks like Christmas isn't just a time for giving_

 _But in this case, forgiving_

 _Can we expect our golden couple to reunite for good?_

 _But call it a hunch, I have a feeling not everyone is rooting for them this time around_

 _Xoxo, Gossip Girl_

* * *

 **(A/N)** : Hope you enjoyed this chapter, there wasn't a lot of direct Klaroline interaction but I wanted to show how they felt about each other through their conversations with other characters.

Please leave a review!


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